21 Star Wars legends who are also accomplished authors

4. Sir Alec Guinness

Next up on this list is the legendary British actor Sir Alec Guinness, best known to us fans as “Ben” Obi-Wan Kenobi, the wise Jedi Master that helped guide Luke Skywalker on his hero’s journey including later in using the Force to destroy the first Death Star.

Like his younger co-star Carrie Fisher, Guinness was a prolific writer as well. The esteemed actor’s bibliography consisted of several memoirs, the first of which was his autobiography/memoir Blessings in Disguise published circa 1986.

Rather than merely recounting his life story, Guinness was interested in expressing his opinions and reflections on art, books, other actors, and theater. My Name Escapes Me: The Diary of a Retiring Actor is one such example of what he liked to write about.

Originally, it was meant to be a diary that an editor named Charles Moore had approached Guinness to write so that he could publish a few excerpts inside his newspaper the Sunday Telegraph, but the muse had other plans.

This book-length diary was then followed up by the aptly named Positively Final Appearance: A Journal, 1996-1998 which like his other previous work contained both anecdotes and opinions on various topics of interest. While not his final written work, this book was the last to be published while the author – who was then in his late 80s – was living.

Guinness’s final written work, A Commonplace Book was published posthumously following the actor’s death at the age of 86 in August of 2000. The book consisted of an assortment of handwritten material that included two exercise books, favorite passages from poems and plays, stories that he had overheard, theatrical anecdotes, and other musings that covered whatever he considered worthy of commentary. It also included a type-written introduction that the actor left with his suggestions on how he hoped to share this final work of his.